The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, regarding the passing of industry veteran and leader John Roach. 

John, former Chairman and CEO of Tandy/RadioShack, rose through the ranks after beginning his career at the Tandy Corporation as a data processing manager. When named chairman of Tandy, John was the youngest CEO in America. His career spanned many decades and his commitment to advancing our industry was second to none. He gladly joined CTA as a witness on Capitol Hill, testifying on several key issues including audio home recording. Often a panelist at CES, John was always willing to share his insights and vision for the tech industry. In 2006, John was inducted into the CTA Hall of Fame, where we honored him for his many lifetime achievements.

Henry Chiarelli, Industry Executive and Member of CTA Board of Industry Leaders, also shared, “John was an extraordinary leader and trailblazer with a passion for the Consumer Technology industry.  As the CEO he was most dedicated to creating “pathways to life changing success” for the many employees of Tandy/RadioShack. John will be most remembered as an early pioneer and “technology innovator” … most notable was his vision for an affordable PC (TRS-80) which ignited a revolution that has had a profound effect on lives across the globe. John also had a passion for his alma mater Texas Christian University (TCU) and spent many years as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Consumer Technology community lost one our best…he will be greatly missed.”

We are forever thankful for John’s contributions to CTA and the tech industry. We send John’s family our deepest sympathies.